Stem Turns Lemons and Limes Into Juicy Atomizers

Quirky's Stem turns any citrus fruit into an acid-spraying sprinkler

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hit in the eye by a stray spray of acid enough times to know that a lemon is eager to share its juice. And Quirky’s new Stem accessory will help the citrus fruit in its generous ambition by putting a spray nozzle on it.

Stem is a work in progress, just accepted into Quirky’s production machine, which hones a design and then pre-sells it before starting the wheels of the factory production lines. But — somewhat astonishingly — it works. Take a look at this video from the inventor Timothy Houle:

The Stem consists of two parts. The be-toothed gouger which lets you rip the device into the orange, lemon or lime of your choice, and the spray head, which works just like any other spray-pump in your kitchen or bathroom. Presumably, after the first burst of zesty spray, you’ll be able to squeeze the fruit in your hand to free up more liquid.

The invention is still in its early stages of development, and in my past experience even fully-realized Quirky designs take quite some time to make it into the hands of customers. But for the patient, this looks like a fantastic kitchen gadget. Now excuse me while I head to the dime store to rustle up the parts to make my own.